Method and apparatus for securing glass sheets upon supporting tables



April 19, 1932. J. L. DRAKE 1,854,399

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SECURING GLASS SHEETS UPON SUPPORTING TABLES Filed June 27, 1929 .lll

Patented Apr. 19, 1932 areas steer ".T'OHN L. 15mm," or Toniino; pr m, nssienon iro niiiiany ownus ronn eLAss ooiurAnY,

or rorinn omogn CORPORATION oroI-IIo m-mos Aneurysm-ens sonsseuemeemss srr rs -vmu summm 'rABnEs Appueauem new June 27,

The} present invention relates broadly t 'the;-surfaci-ng of sheet glass'or "other fiat :sheets on'plateS 'and'more particularly to an "improved method and. apparatus primarily 7 syadaptedfor use in what is commonly termed :the. continuoussystem for-surfacing sheet "glass.

:It will be readily understood by those versed in the kart that' in the continuous sys- 1o 'tem' above referred to, "awplurality of? glass sheets to be surfaced are mounted upona series of: cars "or tables which are arranged end to endandmovable eo-ntinuously in-a definite substantially horizontal path to carry the glass sheets first beneath and inenga'geinentwith a series-ofnp'olishing units. In

such system, it ,isordinarily customary to secure theglasssheets tothe topsof thecars or tables by embedding 'them iwithina relatively thin layer "of plaster" of Paris orzsome other suitable Cement. The qualityrof'the resultant; "finish on the glassL-t and the-amount of breakage duringthe grinding and polishoperations is'largely dependent 'upon'the proper securing of'the glass"sheets to the supporting tables.

succeeding treatment of the glass and reduce breakage iroin improper securing of the sheets to a minimum. I

Another" objector the invention is to-profvide such a method and-apparatus whe'rein the pressure "for forcing the "sheets "downwardly into the plaster is "applied theretoin novel manner and; in {such a manner that *all or practically all oftheqairwhichinay -be g I means may be employed for efiecting the detrapped beneaththesheets when 'th'ey' ajre initially laid upon the tables will be iforced fromt-herebeneath whereby'to'efiect the cementing of the-glass sheets evenly *and uniformly throughout their entire *areas.

"Another object of'the invention-isto. prov=ide =sueh a method and 'apparatus wherein thepressu're exerted upon theTglasssheets to -'sire d movement of the tables. sheetsG are ordinarilyseure'd to the tables by I embedding them within: a layer of plaster of "Paris 'or 'the like' 9.

{1929. "seriaruw374,631.

press themdownwardly into the-plaster upon the supporting tablesis-applied to saidsheets first atsubstantially the centers thereof and then gradual-ly towardtheir opposite side.

further object of the invention resides in the; provision of improved apparatusfor the purposes above described including a "frameand aplurality of pressing elements carried thereby, saidpressing elements being of a; yieldableresilient nature and arranged -in substantially triangulari ormation sothat upon-movement of the frame over theglass the pressing elements will engage the glass first at itscenter and then gradually towards itsoppbsitesides.

Other *objeetsand advantages of the inventlon v'v'lll become more apparent during the course of the following description when takenin connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings forming "a part of this application 'and wherein like numerals are em- :ploye'dto' designate like parts throughout the same. 7

Fig. 1"is ayplan'view of the sheet laying 1 apparatus or frameprovidedby the-present invention.

' -Fig.2 is a" rear end view thereof, partially broken away, and

"Fig. 3 is a detail view of one of the'pressing elements or-wheels.

As-previously pointed out, the present invention is primarily designed for use in.v the continuous'system'for surfacing sheet glass -wherein-a'pluralityof tables 5 are-adapted to bzarranged in end to end abutting relation 'to form a continuous; train and to carry a series-of glass sheets '6' mounted thereupon progressively beneatha series of grinding and polishing units, not shown. Thetables "6 are provided with. wheels? rolling upon tracks 8 any suitable type of driving The. glass nmean's iii the form of laying apparatus or including the longitudinally extending side members 11 and 12 and the transverse connecting end members 13 and 14, said side and end members consisting preferably of channel beams as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

The numera 13 designates the forward end of the frame and the numeral 14 the rear end thereof. Carried by each side member 11 and 12 adjacent opposite ends thereof are the outwardly projecting trunnions or stub shafts 15 and 16 upon which are mounted wheels 17 and 18 respectively. These wheels are adapted to ride, during the pressing of the glass, upon horizontal rails 19 and 20 preferably carried at the opposite sides of tables However, it is not essential that the rails be carried by the tables since they may be carried by suit-able stationary supports positioned adjacent the tables.

Arranged between the side members 11 and 12 are the two forwardly converging members 21 and 22, the forward ends thereof being secured to end member 13 in relatively close spaced relation by means of plates 23 and their opposite or rear ends secured by plates 24 to the side members intermediate the ends of the frame but relatively closer to the rear end 14 than to the front end 13. Extending between and carried by the side members 11 and 12 and the forwardly converging members 21 and 22 are a plurality of spaced parallel transverse shafts 25 upon each of which is mounted one or a plurality of rotatable pressing elements or wheels 26. It will be noted that each succeeding shaft 25 from the front to the rear end of the'frame carries a progressively increasing number of pressing elements 26 so that when the frame is moved to the right over the tables 5, the pressing elements contact with the sheet first at substantialy its center and that this area of contact then gradually spreads toward opposite sides thereof. The pressing elements are arranged in a plurality of rows extending both longitudinally and transversely of the tables with the elements of adjacent rows being arranged in staggered relation. In other Words, it might be said that the pressing elements are arranged in substantially triangular formation.

1 ing, resilient pressing elements rotatable and nseasee movable as a unit over the glass. For the purpose of raising and lowering the frame, cables or the like 32 may be attached thereto at the four corners thereof and connected at their upper ends with a suitable crane.

In operation, a relatively thin layer of plastic material is first spread out over the top of one or more of the tables 5, after which one or more of the glass sheets 6 are freely laid thereupon. During the initial laying of the sheets upon the tables, the frame 10 is, of course, in a raised or elevated position so as not to interfere therewith, but after the sheets are properly placed upon the plastic material, the frame 10 is lowered until the Wheels 17 and 18 thereof rest upon the rails 19 and 20. The frame is preferably initially lowered to such a position that it will be supported upon rails 19 and 20 carried by the empty tableswhich succeed those tables upon which the glass sheets rest. The frame is then moved to the right over the tables carrying the glass, and the pressing elements 26 engaging the upper surfaces of the sheets will act to press the sheets downwardly into the" plastic material.

Due to the particular arrangement of the pressing elements 26 as above described, said elements will contact with the sheets first at the centers thereof and this area of contact" will then be gradually spread out laterally toward opposite sides of the sheets. Thus, the sheets will be pressed downwardly from the center outwardly or, otherwise stated, the

pressing action will be exerted upon the glass initially at the center thereof and then gradually towards its opposite sides. In this manner, the air which may have been trapped under the sheets upon the initial laying thereof upon the tables will be forced laterally and outwardly from therebeneath with the result that the said sheets will be properly secured to the tables in an even and uniform manner throughout their entire areas. Such a securing of the sheets is highly desirable in that That is, byproperly controlling the inflation of the tires 30, any desired pressure can be had from zero up to the total weight of the entire device. F or instance, the tires can be deflated to such an extent that practically the entire we ght of the frame will be supported on the rails 19 and 20. On the other hand, the tires can be so inflated that practically the full weight of the frame will rest on the glass and very little weight received upon the rails 19 and 20. This permits an accurate control conditions warrant.

of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

I clann:

1. In apparatus for mounting glass sheets;

which are to be surfaced, a bed upon which the glass is adapted to be mounted, a layer of plastic material on said bed and upon which the glass initially rests, and means for pressing the glass into the plastic material including means arranged to contact with the sheet first at its center and then at its opposite sides.

2. In apparatus for mounting glass sheets which are to be surfaced, a bed upon which the glass is adapted to be mounted, a layer of plastic material on said bed and upon which the glass initially rests, and rotatable means movable over the glass for pressing the same into the plastic material, said rotatable means being arranged to contact with the sheet first at its center and then at its opposite sides.

3. In apparatus for mounting glass sheets which are to be surfaced, a bed upon which the glass is adapted to be mounted, a layer of plastic material on said bed and upon which the glass initially rests, and means for pressing the glass into the plastic material including means exerting a pressing action upon the glass initially at the center thereof and then gradually towards its opposite sides.

4:. In apparatus for mounting glass sheets which are to be surfaced, a bed upon which the glass is adapted to be mounted, a layer of plastic material on said bed and upon which the glass initially rests, and means for pressing the glass into the plastic material including rotatable means movable over the glass and exerting a pressing action thereupon initially at the center of the glass and then gradually toward opposite sides thereof.

5. In apparatus for mounting glass sheets which are to be surfaced, a bed upon which the glass is adapted to be mounted, a layer of plastic material on said bed and upon which the glass initially rests, and a plurality of rotatable pressing elements movable as a unit over the sheet and arranged to press the glass into the plastic material by exerting a pressing action initially upon the sheet at its center and then gradually toward the opposite sides thereof.

6. In apparatus for mounting glass sheets which are to be surfaced, a bed upon which the glass is adapted to be mounted, a layer plastic material On' s'ai d bed and upon which the glass initially rests, and a -plurality of rotatable pressing elements moVable as a unit ov'er the sheet-and so 'ar'rangedzas'to contact with the sheet fi'rst at' its center an d then at i ts 'opposite sides.

7. In apparatus for mounting glass"sheets of rows extending both transverselyandlonfl'lgitudina'lly with respect 'to the bed, i and means for'movmgthe pressing elements as a unit over theglassto press the same into-the plastic material by exerting-a 'pressingaction initiallyupon the sheet at-its centeva-nd then gradually toward the opposite sidesth'ereof.

8. In apparatus for mountingglasssheets "which'are' to bersurfaced, a bed upon which the glass is adapted to be mounted, a layer of plastic material on said bed and upon which the glass initially rests, and a plurality of rotatable pressing elements movable over the sheet and arranged in substantially triangular formation for pressing the glass downwardly into the plastic material.

9. In apparatus for mounting glass sheets which are to be surfaced, a bed upon which the glass is adapted to be mounted, a layer of plastic material on said bed and upon which the glass initially rests, and roller means for pressing the glass into plastic material, said roller means being arranged to contact with the sheet first at its center and then at its opposite sides.

10. In apparatus for mounting glass sheets which are to be surfaced, a bed upon which the glass is adapted to be mounted, rails arranged along opposite sides of the bed, a layer of plastic material on said bed and upon which the glass initially rests, a frame having wheels adapted to run on said rails, and means carried by the frame for pressing the glass downwardly into the plastic material.

11. In apparatus for mounting glass sheets which are to be surfaced, a bed upon which the glass is adapted to be mounted, rails arranged along opposite sides of the bed, a layer of plastic material on said bed and upon which the glass initially rests, a frame hav ing wheels adapted to run on said rails, and a plurality of rotatable pressing elements carried by the frame for pressing the glass downwardly into the plastic material.

12. In apparatus for mounting glass sheets which are to be surfaced, a bed upon which the glass is adapted to be mounted, rails arranged along opposite sides of the bed, a layer of plastic material on said bed and upon which the glass initially rests, a frame having wheels adapted to run on said rails, and a plurality of rotatable pressing elements car ried by the frame and arrangedin substan tially triangular formation for pressing the glass downwardly into the plastic material.

13. Apparatus of the character described, including a movable frame, and a plurality of resilient pressing elements carried by said frame and arranged in substantially triangular formation.

14. The method of embedding a glass sheet within a layer of plastic material, which consists in forcing the sheet downwardly into the plastic material by pressing the sheet downwardly first at its center and then at its opposite sides.

15. The method of embedding a lass sheet within a layer of plastic material, w ich consists in exerting a pressing force initially at substantially the center of the sheet and then gradually towards the opposite sides thereof.

Signed at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, this 21st day of June,

. JOHN L. DRAKE. 

